by Roman aka jar

by Roman aka jar

Hi,

here you may find some banners of Massive Voodoo, just in case you have been searching for one to link us to your site (been asked in some cases lately) - feel free to copy them to your site or whereever you want - will be for sure updated with some more, sooner or later:

UNDER CONSTRUCTION!

This will be linked to the Support Area you may find on the right upper corner.An additional part will be realesed on how to create a html banner, when i did it myself and understand it as far as i could tell somebody else... please be patient :)

by Roman aka jar

Aloa,

to another view on my workbench. Yeah, it's been a while since the last one and when i am true to myself there didn't happen very much during the workshop time in december back in cologne, during Christmas and uh, you know not much further progress on the WIP area in my cabinet. But as seen lately i have finished some miniatures without talking about them a lot in the state of Work in Progress...

A view in my cabinet tells this:

Denise and the Geisha busts by Pegaso are waiting for me, somehow they should have the right arguments to get my brush on them, but... hum? No idea, time is not ready yet.

The Arkvenger, Arky as i finally call him, is still in the same state as before. I am really looking forward to take my time for further steps on this guy - oh yeah, i am looking forward to this moment, but it should be the right one :)

The asian magician by Helldorado is waiting in line.

The bust from Mad Puppet Miniatures, the guy with the puzzles is stripped from colour again - cleaning up the brain and the workbench, wasn't really comfortable with the concept. Guess it'll take another go someday.

Whatever, lately i am finishing off some of the WIPs which stand around, like the Ancient Hero Maulg. Also the Sniper from Helldorado is - again - on the table at the moment:

Really got the urge to bring something forward in my cabinet as the new year is arriving with high speed and i am still stumbling behind all of my plans - ah it feels good to have this blog to tell myself what to do and plan my projects up, somehow.

Another brainfart has make me done this base for the Dire Troll Mauler from Hordes, everything is still in early painting process but i really like this kind of simple base i have finally achieved to make after all:

Yepp, that's it... next year will be the same as this year i hope, painting with the flow of the muse and always be happy at it - that's my goal. Everyone who is waiting for something be sure i do not take on further comissions, i am working myself through all this inspiration and there will be the moment where the muse hits me for your comissioned projects (i don't have that much, so no panic) - thanks for your patience and your time you took reading this...

by Roman aka jar

In the right upper corner of this page you may find the "For Sale" area. It is meant to be a place where painted miniatures or stuff will be sold time after time.

Why not using ebay for this? Let me explain:

Sometimes even i am painting up a model that my heart loves. Usually i really did get used in selling every miniature i paint or paint comission pieces - all in all i do give them away in the end. Usually no problem, but sometimes i finish up some miniatures where my heart holds on to - therefore i won't use ebay - they will be sold there for a good cause. I can somehow say how much they mean for me and if they are not getting sold then they stay at my cabinet - something about love, hard to explain.

Raffa's cabinet is also always expanding and so there you may also find 2 miniatures up for Sale painted by him. Check it out... RegardsRoman

by Roman aka jar

Another base. Another Tutorial. This is just a way i want to show how my bases come to realization, as told before i am not thinking very much while doing a base. So it has been again this time.

In these days, while Christmas is gone, New year's eve approaching i am currently not really painting - i am working a bit more weird than usually, haha. Bringing things, bases and miniatures together which i just took for these quiet days. Normal working will start again in 2010 :) - now some thoughts on another basework, for sure not a real tutorial...

Needful Things you might need while doing such a "weirdo" base :

- A socket

- some Milliput Standard Yellow or whatever colour you may like, or even whatever putty you may like...

- Stuff you have found while running through this world- a miniature and with that a simple thought of an idea

The Miniature and the inspiration

I really have been fascinated by rusto's great Dire Troll Mauler. I love that model since then and i adore those rocking bases he does with not much stuff - it is more about lines in the bases that help bringing a model to the right focus or including it more in the base. The base and model combination here at this Troll really did catch me and made it to one of my old time favorite models ever painted by rusto. The roots on the side, standing higher to their ends form somehow the same line as the hands of the troll do... that is what i mean by lines - here is my lazy explination sketch to it:

Sure those lines are not really seen, but they help to bring the miniature in the main focus. For another explanation take a look at the last painted Ancient Hero Maulg by me. There is some sort of "V" in the back that moves to the heaviest point on the base where the miniature stands...

Ok enough of this - i guess there could be a single tutorial needed to explain my weird thoughts more exactly - someday this will come, promised. For now i am getting back to the base and the line that follows the Troll's hands (sketch).

Building the base

I found some rusty old metal parts a long while ago and i kept them, why - i had no idea until yesterday where i did built that base up.

I took a wooden socket, glued the metal parts with a lot of super glue on it (let it dry) and created the area around the parts with milliput standard yellow, also for more strength in holding together, also let this dry out (3~4 hours)...

Putting everything together, also found some balls, hehe, the concept grows:

I did drill a hole in the base and the miniature's feet to set him at this point again with a metal pin later on. Additional i did clean up the areas where the milliput comes together with the wooden socket with sandpaper for some moments to get a clean plain area there.

Ok, this is not really a Tutorial - more a brainstorm, but i hope some of you are able to understand my brain at this point... i just tried to catch the green line from rusto's masterpiece, an early WIP shot:

by Roman aka jar

Aloa,

some music ... last one of this years Weekend Playlist Adding, uh now i am getting sentimental... trying to find out some of my this years favorites or all time favorites or i don't know... going a bit deeper as usually ... here we go with some real old classics i still love - music i did grew up with:

WIPs can be found here and a tutorial to the shield can be found here!

The basic model is Troll King Maulg by Artefactory, one of my absolut favorite models ever, the helmet and shield are from the Romeo Model's Italian Warrior, the knife is from the Games Workshop Space Wolf Sprue, the spear, leatherbelts and base have been scratchbuild, the bottle on his back is from a Games Workshop Fantasy Sprue, which exactly i did forget, the apple basket is from Zeus...ehm, no - Rackham's Accesoirs...

I hope you like him... remember he will always stand there, he who is the Ancient Hero Maulg.

by Roman aka jar

Huhm? I have no idea why i am typing this, haha. Maybe just another brick in the colossal wall of all the thankful happy thoughts i have build up through this year and which flood my mind when thinking about my beloved passion: Miniatures.

I have met so many great people through this passion and it really seems that no matter what you are in normal life or what you are not - it doesn't matter, there is a chain of friendship, more like brotherhood and for sure sisterhood sorrounding our beloved passion that everyone can be happy when talking to someone with the same passion. Sure sometimes you are not getting best friends for life but there is always something which brings different brains and souls to the same spot: our Hobby about those tiny models.

I want to say thank you to a real great year taking off from "normal" working life and my second year of trying to make a life from my passion, it would have not worked out without you - the ladys and gentleman that do support the things i do. From emotional support and friendship to Comissions and even reading here - it is you who bring the power, not me - there are those little or big words some of you drop about my work, this blog, friends and great people sorrounding my passion - you bring the energy with your support. Therefore i am really thankful - year 2009 in my life really will stay in a damm good memory...

There are so many metionable things in 2009 that i surely can't tell them here, but i will do a little brainstorm - my sweetest memories from 2009 as far as i can remember:

- decided to do another year break off in early 2009

- Meeting Robert in Graz in early 2009

- Doing my first Painting class there ever- Winning surprisingly Gold in Fantasy Master Painting at this years Duke of Bavaria in Ingolstadt- being down/low and gained the power to raise again --> the power to this starts with pure truth to yourself and pure truth to others, this makes a heart free and able to fly (blabla, just my experience)- Spending some time via Skype with Mati in the chilled weeks of this years summer, finally meeting him lately in Berlin- Meeting Raffa at a barbecue :)- Painting miniatures all the time and thinking about it all the time- Starting this blog

- Bernard Cornwell's books- Birth of the neighbour twins

- Becoming the godfather of the neighbour twins together with my lady- found reasons which made me stop palying computer games that much...- blablalbablubb... i guess i could fill this up with so many thoughts but as you know time is always limited, but i have learned to accept that and stop myself sometimes from writing hour of hour of my thoughts... that sometimes makes nothing left in my brain and those reupload times are ... uhm, yeah - strange... whatever, i guess the best things in the last year had been meeting a lof of people, some new over the internet and some in real which i only did know from the internet yet and share our beloved passion and inspirational powers with them...additional for sure all the support that i have recieved from so many directions - i guess this was without a doubt the greatest thing in the last year...

Main thing for 2010 which i have decided: I will still hold on to this passion and will do another year of fully working and living my passion. Someday i have to finish up myself in becoming a teacher for kids, but not yet ... not yet. Be sure that i have checked all the information i need to do this break off and there is the time to do so - there is no hurry to become a teacher as my high quality informants told me.

Finally, i am not sure if there is something coming the last couple of days on this blog. Maybe. Maybe not. Be sure that next year will start with this idea of everything growing how it is growing, no plan or idea behind everything... just let the muse decide and let her create the best of it. At this point i have to quote the "Welcome Text" from the right navigation bar:

"Welcome to MASSIVE VOODOO, the small jungle of ideas and thoughts - of muhani, Picster, mati and jarhead - around our beloved passion - Miniature Painting and colors.

We'd like to invite you to stay a moment and check MASSIVE VOODOO for tutorials, reviews, galleries and much more to come in the future. For the past, don't miss to check out the archives :)

If you like what you can find here we would invite you to subscribe and help to make this place whatever it will be somewhere in the future :)"

by Roman aka jar

by Roman aka jar

I know i am boring, could have done all 3 finished miniatures in one posting... but i didn't, why? Don't ask me... a lot of thanks again to everyone helping me out with the camera donation for the kong, i can feel the Happy Painting flood rush back in my died venes... illness is gone and christmas with the family is coming - could there be anything better in these days than this? Let me think for a minute...

1 Minute of thinking...

No it ain't, simply great - thanks for your help! I am looking forward to play the drums in here as loud as never heard before or somehow in that massive direction.Bum! Bum! Chakka! Bum!Did finish Yarry from Enigma, second one i did paint up, this one is the version which arrives when you get one, nothing changed... more or less it has also been a funny sideproject, ahh... main projects, main projects, main... fun... main... Hold it!

As i achtually have a really full cabinet i thought about making a photo of everything in it at the moment - thanks Robert for sending me the Leo bust and Varghar for the Workshop time! Also you can see my first 2 miniature exchange models ever in my life, "Carlos" by ScottRadom (thanks mate, love him) and "Shiraga RIP" by my friend Fabrizio, love you too :)

Also my actual WIPs... Ancient Hero Maulg is missing, he is waiting on the workbench :)

___________________________________mkay...

... i guess this is it, my last posting before the holy days. Keep 'em simple, don't waste electricity, don't burn the house by doing the no waste thing and keep 'em in the heart of your family - i wish everyone a wonderful time between your loved ones - Christmas is here again :)

... those i yet had the chance to meet them in person, feel hugged by Kong :)

by Roman aka jar

Also finished up this comission for the gaming table - a wood elf dragon by Games Workshop. Sure there are some parts which could need way more time, but as for the use of the gaming table i felt it must be ok that way...

by Roman aka jar

Hasslefree's Silvia did come from my workbench... Ah stop! I think some of you remember my Damm! thing about my camera lately and to those who helped so much i have to say the deepest thanks ... i did get my new camera today and am already experimenting with it.

I am really speechless about your help - thanks for your support, ladys and gentleman! So the jungle boogie is up to rise his noise again... jungle boogie!

After i had been ill lately i did not paint that much like i am used too and she has been a funny sideproject to paint. I hope you like her... and i am practicing taking good pictures with the new camera - i promise... the base has been scratchbuild from a hirst art coloumn thing, a wooden socket, some wall stuff which broke down lately in our flat after bringing up some stuff my girlfriend wanted to have there - MacGyverKong made it all clear in the end, stuffed the hole in the wall and used the dirt for making a base...A real joy to paint... sorry about the bad pics, got this new camera and testing my way through the wire by doing and failing, experience, experience, expeäähhh ... or maybe read the manual ;)

Hasslefree - Silvia, 28 mm

Silvia is also up to CMON, if you want to look at the same picture there - Link!

by Roman aka jar

Ok, now it is getting really weird in the jungle... weekend? Jepp, i missed it again, but i am getting healthier finally...had a couple of really quiet days which will be followed up by even more silenced days up to come...ah, somehow even Christmas is sometimes really, really strange and the things you may also see around you might be really a bit ... ähm, too emotional or something like that...more like that:Christmas is the heart of the year, the true moments pas la familia... or some kind of banana, i think you got me?Keep it that way and fill up some ressources in your heart for next year's waiting to Christmas...urgs, zrrtt, Playlist!

Songs that inspired me lately:

Again it starts with the Ink Spots, but in total different view - i did play this funny game where you can drive to music, and musicly inspired parcours with your hooverthing, whatever, made a lot of fun and found that video to my favortie Song:

Ok, now that's it - a tribute to one single song. I am always realizing why i paint miniatures and the greater goal behind everything when listening to this song. Bring some warm thoughts in cold winter boots... whatever - hope you enjoy!

by Roman aka jar

As Christmas time is our all friend these days i hope that everyone has a couple of chilling quiet days in the heart of their families... i hope you'll enjoy them, BUT don't forget the Show some balls! Contest!!

We already recieved the first 2 entries and they rock... keep it up that way!

Additional to the price list now comes a gift of 2 bust sockets from Sockelmacher.dewhere one will be found in every carebox (second and third price).Big thanks to my man Steffen over there running the socket store of my heart...

by Roman aka jar

Ahh damm... just wanted to let you know, that i am a bit ill at the moment... not much to come from me on the blog at the moment. Really a bit knackered up from the 2 Workshops and the cold outside ... tea time from now on...

As i am not sure how far the next days will bring me to cure i want to take the chance at this point to wish everyone reading here a wonderful and quiet christmas time with your loved ones. Enjoy the time with them as time is the highest gift on earth, always remember this.

Also thanks at this point again to all the people helping me with my camera, you really make me speechless - thank you very much!

by Raffa

The goal of this small tutorial is to give a better understanding of light, shadow and material properties. Raffa is writing the article. We hope you enjoy!

_______________________________________________________________________________You want to support Massive Voodoo?
If you like to support or say thanks the monkeys of Massive Voodoo in what they do, please feel invited to drop a jungle donation in their direction via paypal or check their miniatures they got on sale here.
_______________________________________________________________________________

The sample pictures are created digitally for a better understanding.
I hope you can use the knowledge anyway and apply the theory to the miniatures.

So: Let's begin!

Face Base
This is the basic picture, you may see it as the base coat.
On the right side there are two reference objects for a better understanding of the light situation.

Face Example 1
In the first example, the light comes from up / frontal, the light isn't to strong as you can see from the glossiness of the skin.

For example, the fold under the eye should get special attention.
There you can see how lightning on such sharp edges can be presented easily and dramatic.

Face Example 2
In this example the light comes from straight above.

This kind of lightning let objects look very dramatic.
Especially faces get this kind of insane or evil creepy touch.
All bigger objects like eyebrows, chin and nose cast a strong hard shadow.

Face Example 3
In folgendem Bild fällt das Licht von schräg links vorne ein.
In the following picture the light comes from the left front.

Here you have to look out on prominent objects like the nose that cast a shadow.

Face Example 4
In this example, another light source comes in.

To enhance the effect of such a lightning you can enhance the effect to an unrealistic level as in the above picture.
Normally the turquoise light would cast a much more diffuse lightning.
By setting small and selective highlights you can create a much deeper, threedimensional effect.

Face Example 5
So far so good, now let's bring some colors into play.

The light source here is the same as in example 3.
What is new here is a green global lightning, you can imagine the guy being in the canalisation.
From the green surrounding light the shadows are tinted in a green color.

Face Example 6
Here is the last example that combines all of the stuff shown before.

A global blue light, a white light from the left and a turquiose light from the right.
As you can see the skin tone is tinted in the color of the global light.
In this case you can see the skin looks a bit pale and has a blue tint.

Theory on Edges
So, here is some theory:

As you can see here you have to think about the shape of a edge.
The left edge on the picture gets darker to the middle.
The "edge" on the right is soft in the middle and so it'll be brighter there.

Glossiness
Every material has a different kind of glossiness.

Here are some examples as the light reacts on different kind of surfaces/materials and produces different kinds of gloss effects.
On cotton for example you have very diffuse hightlights with little gloss.
Plastic on the opposite produces very large and strong highlights.
On metal the highlights are usually very sharp and strong.
Sure there are some materials that fall out of this pattern as for example brushed metal or satin and silk.
The best Advice there is maybe to just take some photos and study the material by watching it.
In the end of this glossiness chapter i have to say that this information MAY have limited use on miniatures, but maybe you just want to make a new step or try out something new ;)

Logically the Highlight gets weaker the more the light source is away from the object.
What's also important: Do not stay on the same color all the time while painting such highlights!

For example:
Fire: Red -> Orange -> Yellow -> White
Magic: Blue -> Turquiose -> Green -> White (looks even more mystical that way)
The closer the light source is to the object, the brighter you go with the color and while fading the highlight go over all the colors...... i hope you know what i mean ;)

So, after all i hope i wrote some interessting stuff not everyone did know ;)

Edit by Kong: To this article i've added something intresting i found while hanging around in different forums, thanks to Thomas at this point for linking this up!

Cheers,
Raffaele

_______________________________________________________________________________You want to support Massive Voodoo?
If you like to support or say thanks the monkeys of Massive Voodoo in what they do, please feel invited to drop a jungle donation in their direction via paypal or check their miniatures they got on sale here.

The skin has been started with one layer Catachan Green (Color / water: 80/20), creamy. It first has been darkened a bit with glazes of Dark Angels Green to the Shadows. Unfortunately I lost the picture which supposed to be here - creative chaos is sometimes not so great.

[No image available - ahh, sorry, damm]

Next, a glaze Catachan Green (Color / water: 40/60) to the lighter areas which have been set by the white primer has been placed to the lights. This process can be repeated frequently to optimize and extend in between all areas of the skin.But be sure about the fact that the brighter areas should be more cleaner and stronger than parts in the shadows - do this by repeating glazing. In addition, the eyes have been painted with pure Skull White. Not really a good following picture, as i told you, my early days... but it should become clearer with further pictures.

The second glaze is a mix of Catachan Green and Bleached Bone (90/10) and went in the other direction - into the lights. The procedure is exactly the same: emphasis reinforced by the repetition of the steps. Several glazes Fiery Orange (Color / water: 70/30) have been carefully drawn over his eyes.

Now, a glaze of Catachan Green and Bleached Bone (70/30) followed in order to intense further highlights. This option can be repeated more often. As a final accent is again wearing a mix up from Catachan Green and Bleached Bone (40/60) on the model. Be careful with this last step in the accents and sit slightly better targeted than too many, as this may otherwise prevent the full effect of the last accent. The eyes still get a final glaze Red Gore, and here in a part of the eye, the Fiery Orange, that shines through the white primer can stay.

In conclusion, a glaze Dark Angels Green (Color / Water: 5 / 95) over the entire skin is pulled. This combines the colors with their basic tone and creates a more harmonious overall picture.

The finished Orkhaut was concluded with several dark glazes (purple, blue, red) to the deeper parts (eye sockets, mouth, shadow agencies, etc.) covered at the overall picture of the miniature by depth a harmonious effect. This effect could now step in which we once again darkens and lightens to intense the contrast - I won't do to this miniature anymore as this is planned a Orc for the gaming table. The other areas of the miniature have been completed and finally the boss yells at his favorite color Power Word: Waaaaghhhh!

PS: I have seen this ugly thing on his left shoulder on the picture above... man i am happy that i have learned some things in my hobby time, haha.

Be sure that there is much more colour in a skintone, also in orcish ones. Just let your inspiration drive you. The more patient you are working with glazes and contrast the better results you may achieve. Here are some further examples:

by Roman aka jar

Do i forget something? No i guess not... after being away for 2 weekends now, the Playlist will be added with 10 songs - music from my MP3player that did follow my way the last two weeks and inspires me ... hope you enjoy - take a moment, i guess you could enjoy some of these clips, some may be in different versions as you might know them:

Strange music for some nice days in Cologne and Berlin, haha - hope you may enjoy those choices a bit.

Still a bit busy with all the email stuff and so on but i guess it is getting better soon, when christmas arrives and when i'll totally loose my time for this blog.I hope you have some quiet days around - with a little bit of painting or sculpting time - just take a moment to it and feel how good it is for the soul. I did finish a model but i ain't got no camera at the moment, so i have to wait to see Raffa again for helping me out with the photos, but until this i'll try to finish up some more :)

by Roman aka jar

Aloa,

now follows a little review from my point of view at the second beginner's painting class held in Cologne the last weekend. Still a bit knackered from those 2 workshops held during the last weekends, but sleepy time is sometimes wasted time... the Kong tries not to sleep, but sometimes he does and dreams of big fat banana trees. Whatever, we had a great weekend i have to say...

Thanks again to Robert of the Brave New World store in the center of Cologne. As Robert told me there is a chance of some more workshops in 2010 in the store as Robert has been fully happy about everything went. At this point thanks to every helping hand, even those who did not participate - your help has been highly appreciated. Biggest thanks again go out to my Cologne Lady Daniela (Lilly) who gave me a home for 10 days and some really cool days. I am really thankful and you shall know words can't describe what i mean. Maybe you could take a photo of the ape picture - i wasn't able to you know ;)

Now let me tell you about the painting class itself. Thanks to my men Andreas and Markus for letting me use their photos and thanks for everyone who allowed me to show a picture of him/her on this site. Thanks for your support. At this point also the Maxpaint-Shop.de should be mentioned, thanks for the great support on MiniNatur-Stuff.

Again we took Demonettes for the use of practice on the Workshop. After we cleaned them up, prepared them for painting and build a base we had to prime them. In between i was telling some blablubb about colours and light and a lot more things i guess, haha. Why we used the 2 Black and White Priming Method -

"Ay, where are my details, can't see them and btw where is that light this guy Roman was talking about?"

Priming in the center of Cologne's city really is a lot of fun - first waiting in line of some grafiti gangsters:

Then me telling something about the things to take care of while priming:

One of the great participants doing it himself:

After this it was up to me to show a bit more practical use of colours and how to work with it before the Happy Painting could start:

Don't take a too close look at my colour cans i work with, here is my trasnportation method:

Now it was up to the Participants to rock it with the Happy Painting flow - and you may decide if they had their fun:

When "Problems" seemed to appear i tried to be as fast as Flash, but wasn't always able too - i am getting old you know, haha. No faces like this allowed on the class, just kidding - i guess he was really massive tired like we all...

Some more impressions on the Painting class... randomly sorted, thanks for the great time to everyone, even i had a hard time on Sunday not falling asleep while showing you something but i guess it was not only me, haha:

Some of the adult participants had their own idea to become friend with the colours, just kidding - there is no need to, always know colours are not evil - they are beautiful and everywhere, that is why life is so wonderful:

I really must have said something very fascinating, can't remember this part, haha:

I just explained my muse, the source of all inspiration, haha:

We also made a groupshot of us all:

And for sure also a group shot of the Workshop Miniatures done by the participants:

Again, i have to say thank you a lot for taking part and making this weekend a lot of fun, also special thanks to Daniela again for her helping hand.Hope to see you again my fellow painting comrads - may a good brush be with you!

Keep on happy painting!

Regards

Roman

PS: Keep the word out for Happy Painting and i hope you'll make those Painting Meetings you planning already:

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... MASSIVE VOODOO’s jungle, where some apes share their thoughts and ideas around their beloved passion, the hobby of miniature painting and sculpting.

Feel welcome to come and check the jungle for tons of articles, interesting tutorials, creative competitions and the simple joy of happy painting hidden behind every tree. We hope that everyone finds their own banana in here, if not do not hesitate to ask the apes. We are more than happy for you to post in the comments section to help turn this jungle into the lush, overgrown painting corner we hope it will become.